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1/18

[Sorry, I wasn't feeling well the past week, short update for today and early to bed. Will make up the 17 missing chapters tomorrow]

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"Quick, hug her!"

As the Mist spread, the little deer's urgent call echoed in Yino's mind.

Yino blinked, finally breaking free from the spell of the treegirl's demonic eyes.

He had seen scenes of ancient tree demons in his past life.

However... In the game, the Ancient Tree Demon didn't even have a health bar. Her demonic transformation's abyssal outburst was mostly just a post-boss battle cutscene CG effect after players defeated Liuli.

After the Ancient Tree Demon's transformation CG ended, players didn't need to fight her again. They just had to survive along specific routes while protecting other cultivators' retreat. The orthodox elders who rushed in afterward would handle pacifying Azure Forest's chaos, concluding the main storyline.

But facing the Ancient Tree Demon's demonic transformation in person like this - Yino was genuinely shaken. Compared to this treegirl, his Nine-Colored Deer's combat power seemed pathetically weak.

"You bastard Yino! How dare you mock others at a time like this!"

In his sea of consciousness, the little deer pointed accusingly from behind.

Yino ignored her and took a deep breath. He slowly crouched down, and facing the treegirl's raised hands, carefully reached under her arms and gently lifted her up.

"Is this how I should hold you?"

Yino was cradling what felt like a miniature nuclear bomb, his tone unprecedentedly gentle. It was his first time so nervously comforting a child - he felt that even holding his own newborn after marriage wouldn't be this intense.

As Lily nestled in Yino's arms, their close-range eye contact allowed him to carefully observe this background guardian deity from the original game.

A small oval face, emerald green eyes, light green bean sprout cowlick, and delicate pointed ears similar to her sister's elf-like features but not quite as long...

The girl had touches of emerald green all over her, just like her sister. She wore a white flower pinned to her dress, with light green plant totems embroidered on her wrists, ankles, and thighs that gave off a calming aura.

Dam, she is so kawai.

As Yino gazed at her, he gradually forgot the heavy feeling of the mist. Instead, he found himself genuinely wanting to have a daughter someday - he wondered when he'd be able to marry Yuyan.

"The little deer was right..."

After a moment of eye contact, the tree spirit girl gently pursed her lips.

She reached out with both hands to cup Yino's face, her fair little hands softly caressing his cheeks.

"Big Brother... is truly a gentle person..."

Lily whispered softly with a barely audible voice, like she was talking to herself, but Yino could hear her since she was in his arms. Yino was touched for the first time by a child and felt a bit lost, just curiously watching Lily's reactions.

He vaguely noticed that the bean sprout-like cowlick on top of the tree spirit girl's head was swaying side to side like a sunflower.

How interesting, this little bean sprout has way more racial characteristics than that Nine-Colored Deer's stupid golden hair.

Speaking of which, I wonder if I could contract with an Ancient Tree...

Yino mused internally.

[You jerk! Moving on to someone new already?!]

The little deer pointed accusingly, and if Yunjin hadn't held her back, she would have jumped down to headbutt Yino flying.

But this time, the treegirl in Yino's arms unexpectedly let out a gentle laugh.

As her smile appeared, the surrounding Abyss Mist gradually dissipated. Without the demonic transformation filter, the girl's naturally light coloring appeared even more gentle and soothing.

"You can hear Wangxue scolding me?"

Yino blinked curiously.

The treegirl's hands were still cupping Yino's face.

Though she looked like a child, when she smiled sweetly, it gave Yino a sense of benevolence.

Theoretically, this made sense, since Lily was probably quite a bit older than the nearly five-hundred-year-old Qiu Yuebai.

"Your relationship really is as harmonious as the she said..."

Lily continued to smile gently.

As the Abyss Mist dispersed, everyone faintly sensed a ray of morning light upon the girl's smiling face.

The treegirl's smile left everyone mesmerized.

It had been so long since she'd been this happy.

When Lily was at her most lonely and helpless, it was that little deer who barged into her inner world.

The first thing Wangxue did was loudly ask if Lily wanted fertilizer, which scared Lily so much she shrank into a corner, keeping her distance from the little deer.

But even so, the Little Deer wasn't discouraged at all.

When Lily ignored her, she would squat nearby and tell stories to herself.

She said she was once captured by bad people and locked in a dungeon, but then an incredibly handsome human hero saved her.

She said that human boy respected her greatly, so after his repeated begging and kowtowing, Wangxue the divine and mighty Nine-Colored Deer reluctantly raised her leg to let him kiss her hoof and form a contract with him.

Later, she took the human boy to Ranmo Peak, where she not only taught him cultivation but also worked together with him to overcome eighty-one trials, finally defeating the evil villain!

And after that...

As Wangxue told her stories, Lily gradually became entranced, cupping her face and looking at the little deer with eyes full of admiration.

A hero... How wonderful...

Before the Abyss Mist descended, the Western Region wasn't a wasteland, but rather gave rise to countless races and kingdoms throughout history.

Back then, Lily had heard stories of heroes and princesses.

As Azure Forest's guardian deity, sometimes she would spot evil dragons kidnapping princesses again, and would kindly help direct lost hero parties through the forest. However...

That was a story from very long ago.

Since the Abyss Mist descended and the Western Region kingdoms turned to wasteland, Lily never heard such stories again.

[Little one, don't lose heart!]

[See that somewhat handsome human boy talking to your sister?]

[He's the hero who saved me back then!]

[Now, the great me has sensed Azure Forest's cry of anguish, so under the guidance of this great divine deer, I specially brought the legendary hero to save you!]

At that time, the little deer stood with hands on hips, nose nearly pointed to the sky, looking so proud under Lily's blank stare.

Lily wanted to open her eyes to see the legendary hero, but she couldn't see anything. She tried to speak up hesitantly, but she couldn't hear her sister's or the boy's responses either.

[Don't worry! The almighty me is still here!]

[Little one, watch carefully! Even if you don't like being fertilized, it's okay - all plants photosynthesize, so just open up and properly absorb this divine deer's Nine-Colored Holy Light!]

A thousand memories pierced through her thoughts, and the treegirl opened her beautiful eyes as if waking from a dream.

She gently caressed the boy's face, pursed her lips, and between her brows appeared the purest longing from her childhood--

"Big Brother, the little deer says you're her hero."

"So..."

"Would you be willing to be the hero in Lily's heart too?"